A fireball streaked across the sky at 47,000 mph
A bright meteor traveling at 47,000 mph lit up the night skies over North Carolina and Tennessee on Thursday, CBS News reported.
The object appeared roughly 50 miles above the North Carolina town of Robbinsville. It moved rapidly westward, eventually dissipating about 25 miles above East Ridge, near Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The entire event lasted approximately 10 seconds between the first and final sightings.
A bright fireball was spotted in skies over North Carolina and Tennessee, zooming by at 47,000 mph before disintegrating above a city near Chattanooga, NASA said. https://t.co/dXGgWxiA6f
NASA tracking data
NASA confirmed the object was a small piece of an asteroid. The agency determined the fragment measured two inches in diameter and weighed six ounces.
Specialized imaging systems, known as sky cameras, captured the event. NASA used footage from several locations to analyze the trajectory, including stations at the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, as well as sites in Huntsville, Alabama, and Tullahoma, Tennessee.
#MeteorSighting: Several witnesses reported sighting a fireball over southern Tennessee yesterday evening, Nov. 5, at 7:45 p.m. EST. The meteor was also detected by four NASA All Sky cameras in the region. The object – a small piece of an asteroid 2 inches in diameter, weighing 6… pic.twitter.com/ePD5XDYmuM
One camera positioned near the Tennessee-North Carolina border also recorded the meteor as it moved through the region. NASA’s data regarding this specific event is documented in their skyfall event records.
Astronomers use the specific term “fireball” to describe meteors that are exceptionally bright. These objects are visible over wide geographic areas due to their intense luminosity. While this particular asteroid fragment was small, NASA notes that some fireballs can reach sizes of three feet or larger.
The agency clarified that this meteor was not part of the Taurid meteor shower, which is currently active. Detailed information on the nature of these celestial objects can be found via NASA’s official fireball introduction.
The meteor was captured by a sky camera soaring through southern Tennessee on Nov. 5, 2026.
More on North Carolina
A meteor streaked across the skies over parts of North Carolina and Tennessee, traveling at 47,000 mph according to NASA. pic.twitter.com/fAI5hMlC2r
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